New Pittsburgh Penguins head coach Mike Johnston coached Garrett Haar, who signed a contract for 2014-15 with the Hershey Bears, last season with the WHL's Portland Winterhawks. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)

ARLINGTON, Va. – Making the grade in professional hockey is the next step for Garrett Haar.

Garrett Haar WASHINGTON CAPITALS PHOTO

The defenseman, a 2011 seventh-round draft pick (207th overall) by the Washington Capitals, signed an AHL contract for 2014-15 with the Hershey Bears in June.

"Obviously, I'm excited to get the opportunity to sign with Hershey," Haar said. "It's going to be a good opportunity for me. I just have to come into camp here and do well and then go into rookie camp and try to prove myself a little bit more."

At last summer's development camp, the 6-foot, 208-pounder made the decision to leave Western Michigan University, where he played two seasons for former Bears assistant coach Andy Murray and faced academic difficulties, and instead play for the WHL's Portland Winter Hawks in major junior.

"I still stand by my decision," Haar said. "I like my decision. I thought it was best for me. I couldn't handle doing hockey and school at the same time. That was apparent.

"So I had to make a decision for myself. Even though it disappointed my mom a little bit, I had to make a decision for myself and go the Western route."

Haar, 20, was the second-leading scorer among defensemen (7-38-45) on a Portland team that won 54 games and advanced to the WHL finals, where it lost in seven games to Edmonton.

In late June, the Pittsburgh Penguins hired Mike Johnston, Portland's head coach the past six seasons, to be their new head coach.

"I went to a really successful team and had a good season," said Haar, a native of Huntington Beach, California. "It was a lot of fun. I don't regret it at all.

"I think I've come a long way. I was always kind of the offensive defenseman, so this year my coach was trying to work on my defensive game a little more and just kind of groove that out. I think I've developed a lot more in the defensive area."

On the first day of free agent season, Hershey-Washington signed defensemen Jon Landry and Mike Moore to bolster a blue line that already loomed as a team strength in 2014-15.

Haar figures to face stiff competition to make Hershey's roster at the beginning of the season and could end up starting in South Carolina (ECHL).

"I think everything is up in the air right now," Bears head coach Troy Mann said. "We have to see where things fall in terms on the roster size in Hershey, too.

"Hopefully, we can keep those numbers down where we can have more effective practices with lesser numbers. That will be a management call in terms of what they want to do there."

Haar said he is focusing on the things he can control.

"I can't really control who they sign, who they don't sign," Haar said. "The only thing I can control is what I do on the ice and off the ice. That's really all I'm worried about. Obviously, I'd like to play up in Hershey, maybe get the chance to go up [to the NHL] or whatever."

NOTEBOOK

Defenseman Michal Cajkovsky, who played for Reading (ECHL) in 2013-14 under a Hershey contract, also may factor into Hershey's blue line competition. The 6-3, 208-pounder had a strong rookie season with Reading (14-22-36 in 66 games) and is participating in development camp. "He spent some time with us [in Hershey] two years ago at the end of the year," Mann said. "I know he had a decent season there last year. So we'll have to evaluate and see where he takes us here."